Proving themselves successful again this year, the Percussion Ensemble tops last year’s performance with a bang.

This year there weren’t any neon glow in the dark sticks, but there was a special act in the show that the audience did not expect.

In the piece Taiko, by Scott R. Harding, a group of percussionists were on stage wearing strips of cloth tied around their heads, one of the percussionists was shirtless and red lights were shining on the stage.

The mood was set up to be that of a tribal nature. The piece had steady drum beats followed by more intense drumming and cries from the percussionists.

“It was very meaty,” said Brooke McGee, a senior Math Education major from Linden. “It lacked all the frilly stuff - it got to the basis of human nature.”

The ensemble also performed Chromatic Fantasy for Solo Marimba and Percussion, composed by Scott Roberts, assistant professor of Music at UTM.

The piece was a very dramatic piece with subtle tones. The music got louder as the song progressed. Timothy Fritz performed a great solo on the marimba.

“I thought the piece was awesome! It was fun to listen to and I think the audience’s reaction said it all,” said Shenika Turner, a senior Music Education major from Humboldt.

Fritz was also able to student conduct Crown of Thorns, by David Buxtehude. The piece truly showed the talent of all the percussionists performing. The piece had soft tones with a gentle sound.

“Tim was an awesome conductor,” said Lindsay Roberts, a junior Percussion Music Education major from Lexington. “The theme in the music is the most beautiful thing; it really hits emotionally.”

The last piece of the evening brought out the trademark of the ensemble: a peppy and festive group. As always, the ensemble presented a fun show.

With audience participation and a great performance, the ensemble ended the evening with a big bang!